Zero Motivation

Filmmaker Talya Lavie steps into the spotlight with a zany, dark comedic portrait of everyday life for a unit of young, female Israeli soldiers. The human resources office at a remote desert base serves as the setting for this cast of characters who bide their time pushing paper and battling in computer games, counting down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom and clashing personalities, issues of commitment—to friendship, love, and country—are handled with humor and sharp-edged wit. A decorated veteran herself (of film) with time spent at Sundance Labs, Berlinale, and MoMA, Lavie combats the status quo by flipping genre on its head and bending gender roles to a delightful extreme.